Former Manchester United goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel has revealed the response he received from Manchester City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma when he asked why the Italian chose to shun the Red Devils.
Schmeichel said he tried to persuade Donnarumma to join Manchester United, but the Italian shot-stopper was firm in his decision. The comments came after Manchester United’s 3-0 defeat to Manchester City on Sunday.
Pep Guardiola’s side claimed all three points with goals from Phil Foden and two from Erling Haaland. It was Donnarumma’s first game for City after his £26 million move from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer.
After the match, Schmeichel approached Donnarumma on the touchline and asked him about his decision. Speaking to Premier League Productions, Schmeichel said:
“I’ve followed them [PSG] in the Champions League and I’ve spoken to him a lot of times, he speaks English by the way. Over the last season I kept saying to him, ‘we want you at Man United’, and he said, ‘I’d love to come to England’. I did. So I went to him after Sunday’s game, ‘what are you doing here, you should be in the other goal [for United]’, but he said, ‘I’m very, very happy here’. He showed it, he gave it to the team today, didn’t he.”
The defeat was Manchester United’s second of the season. The Red Devils have played four Premier League matches, recording one win, one draw, and two defeats, leaving them 14th in the table with four points. Their next match is against Chelsea at Old Trafford.
Key Points
- Gianluigi Donnarumma chose Manchester City over Manchester United.
- Manchester United lost 3-0 to Manchester City with goals from Foden and Haaland (2).
- Peter Schmeichel tried to persuade Donnarumma to join United.
- Manchester United are 14th in the Premier League with four points from four games.
